A Christmas Wish
by Shadow 3013
Summary: Hermione, age 6, makes a Christmas wish, and only remembers it years later. Better than it sounds. Basically just a short, feel-good, warm and fuzzy Christmas fic. Grammar revised 3-22-02


The Harry Potter series and all its characters do not belong to me. They are the marvelous creations of the wonderful J. K. Rowling, whom I love for coming up with them; I'm just borrowing them for a bit and hoping I don't dishonor the series. I have no money, I mean no disrespect, and this is for pleasure, not profit, so please don't sue.  
  
This is just a quick little ficlet that I wrote as part of my little sister's Christmas present; I thought I'd post it up here so she can read it on her own computer, not mine. This is basically just a warm, fuzzy, almost-plotless story that should make you feel good about Christmas. I hope. This is the first third-person fanfic I've completed for Harry Potter, my other ones are all first-person, which I prefer, so please be gentle on reviewing this. Thank you!  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"And what do you want for Christmas, little girl?" asked a jovial old man in a red outfit lined in white fluff. He was very friendly sounding, and the smile on his face reached to his eyes as well.  
  
"I want real friends," the little girl replied, looking up at the old man with a serious expression on her face. A look of compassion appeared on the department store Santa's face, only to be quickly covered up by the smile of earlier.  
  
"Ho ho ho... I'll see what I can do for you, Hermione," He said, just as serious as the little girl on his lap. "You may have to wait till you're a little older though, all right?"  
  
"Okay, Santa."  
  
"That's a good girl. Now, until then... What else would you like for Christmas?"  
  
The bushy-haired little girl's eyes lit up in excitement; she was going to get two Christmas wishes! That had never happened before!  
  
"Uhh... I want..."  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Hermione shrugged. "It doesn't matter what you get me for Christmas, I'm sure I'll like it no matter what," she said, looking at the two boys sitting across from her. The table was covered with school books, parchment, and quills.  
  
"Okay, Hermione, but remember that when you get your present from us!" came a voice from behind her. She turned around to come face to face with the Weasley twins.  
  
"I wasn't talking to you two," Hermione said, rolling here eyes. Harry and Ron smiled, and the twins just grinned and snickered.  
  
"Too late," George said.  
  
"Yeah, we're holding you to that." Fred finished.  
  
"Hey, remember," Ron interjected, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. "You can't do anything too bad, or Mum will find out!"  
  
The twins shrugged, then ran back to the table where Lee was waiting for them.  
  
"Okay, enough of that. Let's get back to studying..." Hermione said, turning back around and focusing on her book again. Harry and Ron groaned but listened to their friend try to explain the theory of one of Snape's potions that they would have to make after winter holiday.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Later that night, as she lay in her bed, a memory from years ago resurfaced in the mind of Hermione Granger. She remembered when she was six years old and saw Santa at a department store. She remembered the wish that she had made.  
  
"My wish really came true!" she thought to herself. She knew that it was almost certainly just coincidence; after all, most people make at least a few friends by the time they're twelve years old... But she'd never had any true friends until she came to Hogwarts.  
  
As her eyes got heavier and she was barely awake, one last thought crossed Hermione's mind. That Santa Claus from so long ago... His round stomach had seemed very real, but his face had been much thinner than it should have. His white hair and beard had been exceptionally long as well, and the look on his face...  
  
She had seen those sparkling eyes, that amused yet almost sad smile, sometime recently... But where...  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
"Albus, wherever are you going dressed like that?" Professor McGonagall asked incredulously, her expression both amused and questioning.  
  
Dumbledore gave a wink and a smile to the woman. "I'm off to do the same thing I do every weekend during the Christmas season." he said.  
  
"And just what might that be?"  
  
"Fulfilling the wishes of little Muggle children, of course," he replied. "Don't mention anything to the Ministry of Magic, though. They overlook my little discrepancy as being a part of the better good, but if someone were to complain..."  
  
A warm smile appeared on Professor McGonagall's face. "No need to worry, Albus. If the Ministry is willing to turn their heads the other way, I certainly don't mind doing the same."  
  
"Thank you, my dear." With that, Dumbledore disappeared from the hallway, his destination some perfectly ordinary Muggle department store in an equally ordinary, quite random town. 


End file.
